Safety landing

Abstract

A novel safety platform for use in a vertical shaft such as a manhole. The platform comprises a pair of support beams with the ends of each support beam mounted in the wall of the shaft. At least one panel extends across the shaft and bridges the support beams with a novel wedge clip at one end of the panel to allow the panel to be opened or secured in the closed position. A novel pivotting means is provided at the other end of the panel which pivotally secures the panel to the opposite support beam. The platform may be installed easily with fewer problems than the prior art yet provides increased safety factors for the user.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A safety platform for use in a vertical shaft defined by a wall, said platform comprising: (a) a pair of support beams, each support beam having two ends which are mounted in the inner surface of said wall;   (b) at least one panel which extends across the shaft and which bridges said support beams;   (c) a moveable securing means adapted to releasably secure one end of the at least one panel to one of said support beams; and   (d) a pivotting means adapted to pivotally secure the other end of the at least one panel to the opposite support beam.   
     
     
       2. A safety platform as claimed in claim 1 wherein each support beam is an I-beam having a top surface, a lower surface and a web therebetween. 
     
     
       3. A safety platform as claimed in claim 2 wherein said top surface is flat. 
     
     
       4. A safety platform as claimed in claim 2 wherein the web is recessed at each respective end thereby providing an upper and a lower prong at each end of said beam. 
     
     
       5. A safety platform as claimed in claim 2 wherein said panel comprises a pair of carrier bars with an outturned flange on the bottom of each carrier bar, and at least one slat-like element extending between said carrier bars. 
     
     
       6. A safety platform as claimed in claim 5 wherein said moveable securing means is a wedge clip which is slidably engageable with the top of said I-beam and which is adapted to secure the flange of said carrier bar to the top of said I-beam. 
     
     
       7. A safety platform as claimed in claim 6 wherein said wedge clip is adapted to overlap said flange and said I-beam and is adapted to wedge thereagainst thereby providing a releasable lock for the panel to the support beam. 
     
     
       8. A safety platform as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pivotting means comprising a hole in one end portion of each carrier bar, a pair of locking lugs with slots affixed to the top surface of the support beams, said lugs displaced from each other such that each lug is contiguous with the inside surface of each carrier bar, a hinge pin extending through the locking lugs and through the holes in the end portions of each carrier bar. 
     
     
       9. A safety platform as claimed in claim 8 wherein said pivotting means further includes a stop means to prevent the hinge pin from moving in either lateral direction. 
     
     
       10. A safety platform as claimed in claim 9 wherein said stop means is a shear pin. 
     
     
       11. A safety platform as claimed in claim 9 wherein said stop means is a cotter pin. 
     
     
       12. A safety platform for use in a vertical shaft defined by a wall, said platform comprising: (a) a pair of support beams, each support beam having two ends which are mounted in the inner surface of said wall, each support beam being an I-beam having a flat, top surface, a lower surface, and a web therebetween, wherein said web is recessed at each respective end thereby providing an upper and a lower prong at each end of said beam,   (b) two panels which extend across the shaft and which bridges said support beams, each panel comprising a pair of carrier bars with an outturned flange on the bottom of each carrier bar, and at least one slat-like element extending between said carrier bars,   (c) a moveable securing means adapted to releasably secure one end of the at least one panel to one of said support beams, said moveable securing means comprising a wedge clip which is slidably engageable with the top of said I-beam and which is adapted to secure the flange of said carrier bar to the top of said I-beam, said wedge clip being adapted to overlap said flange and said I-beam and adapted to wedge thereagainst thereby providing a releasable lock for the panel to the support beam,   (d) a pivotting means adapted to pivotally secure the other end of the at least one panel to the opposite support beam, said pivotting means comprising a hole in one end portion of each carrier bar, a pair of locking lugs with slots affixed to the top surface of the support beams, said lugs displaced from each other such that each lug is adjacent the inside surface of each carrier bar, a hinge pin extending through the slots in locking lugs and through the holes in the end portion of each carrier bar, and a cotter pin to prevent the hinge pin from moving in either lateral direction.   
     
     
       13. A safety platform as claimed in claim 12 wherein said wedge clip comprises a body portion and a lip portion, said body portion having a slot therein of a greater height than the combined height of said flange and said I-beam, said wedge clip being slidable on said I-beam which extends through said slot in said body portion of said wedge clip.